At least 33 suspects arrested for alleged illegal mining were found dead in security custody in Niger state, Nigeria, following a security operation on September 15-16.
NSCDC officials claimed a suspected disease outbreak caused the deaths and sent bodies to a local hospital for medical examinations to determine the exact cause.
A survivor alleged that 65 detainees were crammed into a poorly ventilated cell, causing them to suffocate and struggle for fresh air.